


Distortion

by blindedstarlight



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort, Depression, Encouragement, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, NSFW, Oral Sex, Smut, Vaginal Penetration, Vaginal Sex, angst with comfort, husband and wife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-24 22:59:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14963840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blindedstarlight/pseuds/blindedstarlight
Summary: There were times you wondered how you ended up with Gladiolus Amicitia. During those times... the world became dark, and you felt hopeless and broken. But then, Gladiolus would pick you up and build you back together again, with as much love as he could muster, and more.





	Distortion

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on 'theimmortalbae.tumblr.com' :)

There were times when you wondered whether or not you were good enough for your husband. You stood in front of your full-length mirror for endless minutes and just stared listlessly at your reflection, immediately picking out all your flaws that made you out to be what you independently assumed was an enormously imperfect being. 

Front teeth that looked too big, almost like bunny teeth. Countless acne scars smattered across your cheeks and chin. Awkwardly placed ‘beauty’ spots that paradoxically made you feel like a circus freak. Hair that just _would not listen, damn it_! And your body… your body was a disproportioned mess of fat, muscles, height and awkward limbs.

Eyes filled with tears, every single morning, you couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at your luck.

**_How the hell did you end up with Gladiolus Amicitia_?**

“Why did you marry me?” You asked him one day. It was on a Sunday morning- a time that was supposed to be relaxed and care-free. No burdens were to be had, no problems were to be discussed. Gladio was supposed to be absorbed in his latest guilty pleasure novel and you were supposed to be working on updating your music files in your phone.

But no- you ruined that peace. You _ruined_ Sunday.

Dread filled you as Gladio placed his book down gently onto the dining table, his warm amber eyes glinting with concern at you. At least, you were supposed to see concern. However, all you could see was judgment. Your chest tightened and you started to find it laborious to breathe. But you controlled yourself- you wanted to hear what Gladio had to say to your sudden question.

Gladio’s fingers traced the edge of the front cover of his book idly, his eyes glued to your form. Your body seized up under his gaze- _his scrutiny_ \- and you couldn’t help but shake a little at the impending outburst. You were always waiting for this non-existent… impending outburst.

You shut your eyes when you heard the wooden legs of Gladio’s chair scrape against the wooden floor. The screech was painful in your ears. The sounds of Gladio’s footsteps growing louder and louder as he approached you even more painful. You regretted your question. You wanted to run away.

“Y/N? Talk to me baby- is everything okay?” Gladio murmured. You felt his large, warm and capable hands slide under your limply hanging arms to grip your hips gently. You held your breath for a few moments, not trusting yourself to say or do anything. He trapped you. He was going to say something terrible. He was going to _break your heart_. This time… this would be the time.

Silence filled the tense air around yourself and Gladio. He stood still behind you, his controlled breaths fanning your temple as he held you. Your own breathing stuttered as you came closer and closer to complete shut-down. 

It was going to happen. 

Gladio was going to get sick and tired of your silence. Your inability to tell him what was on your mind. He was going to tell you how useless you were. And then… **_he would leave you_**.

A part of you wanted him to leave. 

It really didn’t make sense to you that Gladio had proposed to you three years ago. That he had married you, and had kept you by his side all these years. Despite all your doubts. All your fears. All your worries.

A sob broke out of your throat and you slumped forward. If it weren’t for Gladio’s grip on your hips, you would have crashed down to the floor. You wanted to feel that satisfying pain, but Gladio wouldn’t let you fall. He wouldn’t let go of you. 

“ _Let go of me_ ,” you bit out, your voice shaking as you tried to shake Gladio off. He didn’t let go. He **never** let go.

“I can’t babe. You _know_ I can’t.” His voice sounded like a wounded oath in your ear. A sad, steadfast promise. You couldn’t help the way your shoulders trembled as you tried to keep your emotions from spilling outward. You didn’t want to be a burden.

**_You never wanted to be a burden to your husband_**.

“I’m sorry. I’m a mess,” you whispered brokenly. You felt Gladio’s lips against the exposed column of your neck, and your breath hitched in panic. “No! _No_! **I’m not good enough for you**!”

Your words rang out around the two of you- a raw truth out in the open. A raw truth revealed after festering within your heart for the past three years of your marriage. It felt good, to get that off your chest, but you were also filled with fear.

Would Gladio agree? Would he disagree? Would he let go of you? Push you away? Laugh- and perhaps dismiss you?

All these questions mulled around in your mind until they whirred around in your head like they’d been placed inside a blender, mixing the thoughts together so much to the point that everything became a blur.

Silence. Radio silence.

And then…

“ ** _Let me show you how good you are_**.” Gladio whispered gently. His powerful body withdrew from your back, and you felt cold for a moment. Just a single moment. You felt relief and regret. Pain and elation.

And then he was back, in front of you, somehow having lost his shirt in the matter of a few seconds. Your eyes were drawn to his intricate garuda tattoo and you decided that you would focus on that, because you couldn’t possibly look into your husband’s eyes.

You knew, deep down, that you were being silly. The small, rational voice that remained ingrained in your psyche called out to you- called for you to stop this madness and apologise to Gladio for being so difficult. But you couldn’t. Your irrational mind was waging a war. And it was out for casualties. That casualty, most likely, to be you.

You needed saving. 

“I can’t match up to you…” you whimpered, cringing inwardly at realising how absolutely pathetic you were sounding. You felt Gladio’s hands work quickly to remove your clothing, and you felt confused as your body complied with all of your husband’s cues for movement in aiding the process. Bared to him in a matter of moments, flashes of your bodily flaws reflected in your full-length mirror flashed before your eyes.

Your eyes grew warm, and the floodgates finally opened up. Torrential tears poured down your cheeks, and you gave up your uphill fight with your emotions. Surrendering yourself to Gladio, you threw your arms around him and sobbed into his warm, strong and bare chest.

Gladio in turn, smiled sadly into the crown of your head as he caressed your back, feeling helpless as you cried on him. He knew that it wasn’t his fault you were assaulted with crippling self-doubt on a constant, regular basis. Depression… was a terrifying affliction.

And you… you were always drowning in the thick of it. Because you were always so selfless. Always so ready to push your own feelings aside to tend to the feelings of others. Always ready to have people chip away at your barriers and broken defences until you couldn’t take it anymore. Always so self-critical. Always doubting. Always ready to lose something…

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

And as always, as if those words were a trigger, Gladio began your healing once more. Using his lips to kiss away the intangible pains. Hoisting your trembling body into his strong, capable and safe arms- Gladio carefully brought you into your shared bedroom. He placed your fragile form onto the messy sheets- the bed undone from earlier that morning- before he descended down on you. He kicked his sleep pants off, having gone commando, and he stroked his length as he stared at your tense body lovingly.

“I love you. Let me show you how much I love you. Let me show you how your beauty drives me wild. My wife, my love… **_let me reacquaint you with my devotion to you_**.”

As always, like a routine your mind had recognised, your head nodded weakly to the verbal cue. It was always like this… you’d have your break down. Then Gladio would fix you and build you back up. And then you’d be fine. You’d take on the world, all on your small shoulders, and you’d tell everyone that you were fine. But then slowly things would start to feel like heavier burdens. You’d isolate yourself from the world, and push Gladio away. And then you would doubt his love for you. And you would doubt your love for life.

And the spiral went on and on and on.

Hot, enthusiastic lips caressed your nether lips- and you were immediately brought out of your deep, depressive thoughts. Gladio spread your thighs wide, pressing them down gently against the mattress as he revealed your little rose bud to himself. He latched on immediately and kissed your intimately in your most secret area. You cried out quietly, tired and tingling.

Your body was both on fire and numb. Your inner angel fought with your devil. Gladio was doing this because he loved you. No… Gladio was doing this because he felt obligated to. Because you were his ugly wife. **_No_** … because you were the woman he was irrevocably in love with.

You cried out in the throes of pleasure, although you couldn’t help but sob sorrowfully in the middle of your release too. Gladio noticed this and trailed kisses up your torso, squeezing your breasts as he shared the taste of your own juicy nectar with you. His tongue delved gently into your mouth and caressed your oral cavity with tenderness as he pressed his erection against your wet heat.

He pulled back from your mouth, and stared you straight in the eyes. Amber orbs shining with truth, love and adoration.

“ ** _I love you. Let me be yours,_** ” Gladio whispered gently, raising his hand to tuck a stray piece of your hair behind your ear in a loving, tender gesture. You shut your eyes, orbs welling up with tears as you nodded- that terribly self-doubt drowned out by Gladio’s persistent tenderness.

He entered you, and you felt beautiful. You felt needed. You felt love. You felt wanted.

Gladio groaned, grunted and cried out for you as he thrust in and out of you. No real words were exchanged. There weren’t ever any real words exchanged between the two of you when you were emerging back from a major depressive episode. Just raw feelings. Vulnerable touches. Tender stares. And unbridled passion.

You both came at the same time. It wasn’t intense- but you and Gladio didn’t need intense. It was comfortable. And that was exactly what the two of you needed. Gladio fell to his side and brought you into his arms, laying your head securely onto his chest. 

Your bottom lip trembled.

“I’m sorry… I can’t help it.” You tried to explain the madness that overcame your mind time and time again, but all you could muster was an apology. It was always the same.

Gladio nodded and pressed a kiss to your temple, his eyes full of compassion.

“It’s okay. You’re okay. And I’m not going anywhere. I married you. And I committed to you. _All of you_. Though good and bad, for better or worse… remember?” Gladio smiled, his eyes lighting up- though a hint of sorrow remained behind.

You nodded, averting your gaze. 

Safe in Gladio’s arms. Safe with your husband. The voices were gone for now.

The thoughts were buried deep under a blanket of love and devotion. Until you began to overload your shoulders and take on the world’s problems once more.

Gladio would keep you safe.

Your husband would keep you grounded.

You were beautiful. You were special. You were Gladio’s… and **_you were loved_**.

“ _Thank you, Gladio_.”


End file.
